Improved incorrodible mark or label for bales of cotton



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. MEARS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVED INCQRRODlBLE MARK OR LABEL FOR BALES OF COTTON. du.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,941, dated September 15, 1863.

To all whom lit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. MEARs, residing in the city of I/Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful method of making incorrodible the attachments for labels or identifying` marks for bales ot' cotton, wool. hemp, tlax, hay, or other fibrous materials; and I do hereby' declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

I am aware that several devices have been invented to serve as labels for the purpose mentioned, but those parts of all of these which constitute the attachment to the bales have invariably been so made that they have been liable to speedy corrosion.

Experience has demonstrated that metal hoops or bands, which are employed to secure the contents of bales of the materials above mentioned have frequently, by becoming corroded, produced spontaneous combustion, setting tire to the contents ofthe bales, and causing great destruction of property. My

v invention is designed to remove all liability of danger from this source in the case of the parts constituting the attachments of the labels or tags above referred to; and it consists in forming the said attachments of any suitable metal, coated with tin, copper, brass, or other incorrodible covering.

I do not restrict myself' to any particular form or kind of attachment, as my invention is equally applicable to everything designed for the purpose in question; but one device, which I have found to answer well, is found described in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figurelrepresents a metallic hook or needle, coated as above described, and having a hole or holes ldrilled or otherwise made through it to accommodate the wire cord represented in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a wire cord or small cable of any convenient length and thickness, also coated, as before mentioned, which serves to secure the label and seal (shown inFigs. 3 and 4) to the hook or needle. Fig. 3 is a tag or label, of paper, muslin, parchment, rubber, guttapercha, meta-l, or other suitable material, upon which may be printed, written, or otherwise impressed any identifying mark or device. Fig. 4 is a metallic disk, through a hole l l l or holes in which the ends of the wire cord or cable are secured after they have passed through thel hole or holes in the hook or needle. This disk may, by any convenient means, have a seal formed upon it, and at the same operation by which the seal is made, may, by proper pressure or otherwise, be made to firmly secure the ends of the cable which are passed through it. Fig. 5 represents all the parts of this device put together for use.

The object of the hook is to'constitute the attachment which secures the whole appara-- tus to the contents of the bale. It may be forced into its place by any convenient way. One which will be found desirable is to ein' ploy a tool consisting of a long metallic blade, litted with 'a proper handle, and made more or less sharp at the extremity, and having near said extremity a countersunk hole, into which the hooked end of the needle is placed in such a manner that the needle and a greater or less portion of the wire cable shall be carried into the bale by the act of driving the blade into the latter, and left there when the blade is withdrawn. I, however, wish itto be understood, that I make no claim Ato this tool, as it is the invention of another person.

1f desired, the attachmentfor the label or mark, instead of being` of metal coated, may be made wholly ot' any incorrodible metal or material.

I wish it to be understood that I do not of course claim coating metal so as to render it non-corrosive; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a label or tag or identifying-mark for bales of cotton, wool, hemp, flax, hay, or other fibrous material, ot' an attachment of metal rendered incorrodible, or of metal or material of itself incorrodible, in the manner and form herein set forth.

2. The combination of the hook or needle, the metallic cord or cable, thetag, and seal, the whole constructed ant-loperating, substantially as herein set forth. V

HENRY D. MEARS. \Vitnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, WM. F. A. FILL. 

